RWJUH Board Honors Montgomery Resident Gil Blitz for Years of Dedicated Service

Friday, May 15, 2009

Gil Blitz

The Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Board of Directors honored Montgomery resident Gil Blitz for his three years of dedicated service as Chairman at its annual meeting on May 13.

The board presented Mr. Blitz with a framed resolution and special gift in recognition of the leadership he demonstrated during his term. In addition, his name and years of service were added to a commemorative plaque honoring past board chairs. The plaque, which was unveiled prior to the meeting, is now on permanent display in the hospital’s main lobby.

“Gil has been a tremendous leader and mentor to me as I made my recent transition from interim to permanent President and CEO,” explained Stephen K. Jones, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. “During his term, Gil demonstrated keen vision and focused on expanding RWJUH’s reputation for providing world-class medical care.”

Mr. Blitz, a Senior Vice President with UBS Financial Services, will be succeeded as chair by John Hoffman, Esq., of Piscataway. Mr. Hoffman is an attorney and shareholder with the law firm Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, also in Woodbridge.

Pictured from left: John Hoffman, Esq. of Piscataway, Chairman of the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Board of Directors; Gil Blitz of Montgomery, immediate Past Chairman and current Treasurer of the Board of Directors; and Stephen K. Jones, FACHE of South Brunswick, President and Chief Executive Officer of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

“Clearly, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has made major strides under Gil’s guidance and thanks to him, we are poised for even greater success in the future,” Mr. Hoffman said.

“Serving as board chairman has been challenging, but rewarding,” Mr. Blitz added. “I am pleased with the progress we have made during my term as chair. However, I understand that health care is a dynamic field. We must constantly explore ways to enhance our partnerships and position ourselves for future success. I would like to thank our entire board, our faculty and private physicians, our hospital leadership as well as the leadership of our partner institutions for the confidence they have shown in me and their support during my term.”

Mr. Blitz, who has been a board member since 1990, served as its chair from 2006-2009. He will continue on the board as treasurer. During his term, RWJUH was named one of America’s best hospitals by U.S.News & World Report for two consecutive years. The hospital was also one of only two hospitals in the state and one of 33 nationwide to be named a top hospital for quality and safety in 2008 by the prestigious Leapfrog Group survey. During this time, RWJUH continued its pursuit of cutting-edge medical innovations. For example, RWJUH is now one of only four hospitals in the United States to offer the AbioCor artificial replacement heart, and construction is moving forward on a proton beam cancer therapy facility featuring a new generation of proton beam technology that will be available at only two facilities nationwide.

About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care. RWJUH is the first hospital in the nation to implant the AbioCor self-contained artificial heart since the device received FDA approval in 2006. RWJUH is one of only three sites in the nation approved to offer this groundbreaking technology. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is ranked among the top 50 hospitals in the nation for heart and heart surgery (No. 36), cancer (No. 40) respiratory disorders (No. 50), according to U.S.News & World Report’s 2009 ranking of “America’s Best Hospitals.” The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated RWJUH as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified RWJUH as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. RWJUH is also a recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence for more than 10 consecutive years. Visit us online at www.rwjuh.edu.

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